Is the HDSpark bad value for money?

[gerbow]

Am I missing something?
I was waiting for the HDSpark to come down in price but instead it has gone up! At just over £200 I was finding it a difficult purchase to justify when:

An Intensity Pro (which offers analog i/o in addition to HDMI monitoring and works with Adobe/Apple/Vegas) is £135 = great value!

A Matrox Mini MX02 (which offers analog i/o in addition to HDMI monitoring and works with Adobe (offering Matrox RT acceleration for CS5 if you have the Max version or a compressHD/Apple {and now even with AVID(!!!) for monitoring only!} is £346.

Why is the Spark so much for a simple HDMI output card? Have I missed something? Does it accelerate Edius? Can you import via HDMI? Or is it simply poor value?

Now the HDSpark is £346!! Come on Grass Valley that is simply not competitive and could possibly turn some users away from Edius.

[Crespel]

Am I missing something?
I was waiting for the HDSpark to come down in price but instead it has gone up! At just over £200 I was finding it a difficult purchase to justify when:

An Intensity Pro (which offers analog i/o in addition to HDMI monitoring and works with Adobe/Apple/Vegas) is £135 = great value!

A Matrox Mini MX02 (which offers analog i/o in addition to HDMI monitoring and works with Adobe (offering Matrox RT acceleration for CS5 if you have the Max version or a compressHD/Apple {and now even with AVID(!!!) for monitoring only!} is £346.

Why is the Spark so much for a simple HDMI output card? Have I missed something? Does it accelerate Edius? Can you import via HDMI? Or is it simply poor value?

Now the HDSpark is £346!! Come on Grass Valley that is simply not competitive and could possibly turn some users away from Edius.

I just bougth a HD Spark for € 299,00 - buy it in Germany :-)

[Bluetongue]

Why do you people persist with these troublesome cards!
I have been editing "Software only" now for at least 10 years
I must admit the GV cards are much better than the Pinnacle cards that drove me to distraction before I woke up

I produce video's for Community TV in Australia, I calibrate my computer monitors, (Not using the monitor calibration method but by comparison with a colour chart), it does take some time but well worth it) and use the left monitor for "FULL Screen" monitoring, OK, the "experts", that is to use its meaning of the word (a drip under pressure) assure me it cannot be done, BUT,
If you recognize it will not give you full Gamma "Black to white" and use one of the HD players for final check, "DIVICO", WD or Seagate, for playback on a HD TV, then you will be on your way

I edit in sequences approx 5-7 minutes long and then check via my Divico unit, dosn't take too long

I cannot fit one of these cards on my motherboard
By the time I have my firewire 800 card, Firecoder Blue, Bit of a waste of space BUT it can be really useful, don't ask me if I would re buy it, don't know, if the cost is the only factor, NO, BUT it does work for what I want it for so no problem

Regards Barry

[tingsern]

That's a great idea !!! Use a WD player to output to HDTV to check.

[STORMDAVE]

I think the HDSpark components are more expensive to produce than the other cards, but don't quote me on that.

Is the HDSpark good value for your money? Obviously, if you're editing with EDIUS.

I also have the Intensity Pro alongside an EDIUS NX. Both have their purposes. I like them both.

If you get the EDIUS + HDSpark combo, you're pretty much getting the HDSpark for free. Now that's a great value.

[Jerry]

For size and what it does, I think it is still a very good value. Then combine that card with one of the new Intensity shuttles and you get everything, including 10bit capture. I just checked safe harbor and the spark went up around $50
there. But for around $550 those two items can give you quite a bit of service.
Compare that to the HD Storm. Granted you will capture in HQ with the storm, but MJPEG from the Intensity works pretty much the same as HQ does in Edius.
The plus is that you can move your capture device to other USB 3.0 systems with the convience of a plug.

[gerbow]

Can I ask why you feel that the Spark represents good value? Especially when compared to competitors? Its usp is it works with Edius. What is the quality like? Is it much better than the competition? If so then it might be worth it.

Buying from Germany would incur p&p costs bringing it into line with UK prices. I just fail to see the logic and think that like FCB (with all its inherent weaknesses despite it strengths) it is another wasted opportunity for GV.

Does anyone have an HDSpark and would they recommend it?

DVC (an excellent video specialist company (and Pro-Edius) in the UK) were selling them for just over £200 and I was going to get one, but now they have gone up in price.

Anyone know where I can get one at that price point? In the UK.

The other options don't work for me, but thanks for your suggestions and advice.

[muleferg]

I have 2 Edit systems with HD Sparks. They are well worth the money
Mule

[gerbow]

Great. Thanks for all feedback. One more thing: are the hdspark cards choosy about the motherboard? It will be going into a Mac Pro 1,1 on bootcamp with windows vista ultimate 64.

[rando]

I dont think "Value" comes into play if you want output and you use Edius the Spark is the best deal. If you use Premiere or FCP and want output the Intensity pro is the way. I have both, both work fine. The Intensity pro is a bit nicer for the occasions where I need to capture analog video.

[STORMDAVE]

$290 is a steal for the Spark. That is if you already have EDIUS.

Now the combo is an excellent deal.

This is for output situations only, though.

[mark williams]

The HDspark card is a great value. Last year I made the move to an HD camera and needed a new editing computer to handle it. Edius5 bundled with the Hdspark card was the best value IMO. I bought the bundle for $745 US. To put the "value" into perspective, ten years ago I paid over $1,000 for a Matrox "realtime" SD card.

[eshamis]

I'm working with HD Spark, I like it, I can see my project from Edius on my HDTV monitor., no more some DV Divices.

[comedians]

I have used Spark since it came out and must say I am delighted, it does what it says it does.
For me one other advantage is for people to review the edit from afar, with out having to crowd around my desk.